Amelia lay sprawled on the cold floor of a dark room. For a long moment, she didn't move. Then her lashes fluttered, and slowly, painfully, her eyes opened.
Darkness greeted her. Complete, suffocating darkness.
The air around her was damp and foul, thick with a rotten stench that burned her nose. Amelia inhaled sharply and immediately regretted it. Her stomach twisted as the smell settled in her chest.
"Where… am I?" she whispered, her voice hoarse and weak.
Her head throbbed violently, as though something heavy was pounding against her skull from the inside. Groaning softly, she lifted a hand to her head and tried to sit up.
The moment she moved, a sharp wave of dizziness hit her.
She gasped and held her head, squeezing her eyes shut as the world spun. When she finally managed to steady herself, she felt something wet and sticky on her cheek.
Confused, she touched her face. Her fingers came away slick, she brought her hand closer to her nose. The smell made her stomach churn.
